For a month now, Elias has spent the afternoons staring out the window saying, “Where are all my friends? They aren’t coming anymore to play soccer!” For the last month all the little boys around his age have been off in the Bush undergoing initiation rites. We won’t go into details as to all that involves but it has involved his friends not being around. Slowly over the past week or so the boys have been trickling out of the Bush in small groups – as their time wraps up. As I (Elin) have been visiting the neighbors I have been spreading the word to the recently returned initiates that “soccer is back on!” So, the games have begun again. Each afternoon the group starts to build around 3:00 in the afternoon. Elias is met by cheers when he runs out of the house kicking the ball in front of him. Their game tends to be hampered by a huge thicket of thorns that is right behind one of the goals. Most of their time is spent devising new methods to get the ball out of the thicket, but this too is just part of the game! It kind of reminds me of the “Little Rascals” with some of the ideas they come up with! Anyways, Spanky, Alfalfa and the gang are happy to be together again. “Let the games begin!”
[The Picture is of Elias and his friends playing on their soccer field. Notice the thicket of thorns behind the goal.]